We look forward to the students' arrival Wednesday evening and our first day together on Thursday. During our orientation that day, we'll take along the city map which shows where each student's new home is located. The excitement will really begin when the families arrive to pick up their students between 5:00-6:00!

Upon arrival at the hotel, everyone found their rooms, and then we gathered for a couple of announcements and a group photo. We distributed some snacks, cold water, and an orientation packet and bid them “buenas noches.”

We started the morning with a visit from the director of our language institute, Marta García. She provided an overview from a Dominican’s perspective of what the group can expect here related to city and family life, and the Dominican culture.

During the rest of the day, we talked with the group about a wide range of topics: safety, health, expectations, lunch and transportation money, communication, journaling, the weekly schedule, Dominican greetings, and so on. We also met briefly with each student and shared information about his/her host family.

Soon after 4:30, the host families started to arrive, so we wrapped up our time together and started what for us is very enjoyable… introducing the students to their families! One by one, each family stopped by to meet their new family member…until we were down to two…Daniel and Adam Y (see photo of them "crying"). Of course, their host mothers came shortly after the photo of them was taken, and “ya”…everyone was gone.

In the afternoon, the CEIC staff explained the public transportation system…the types of vehicles, their routes, the hand signals needed to communicate with the drivers, and verbal commands as well. In small groups, each led by one teacher, the students explored a bit more of the city via various guaguas and carro públicos. They first made their way from CEIC to the university where we hold our afternoon classes, and from there to Casa Goshen. By the time they arrived at our house, they were ready for some fresh fruit juice and cold water! Everyone relaxed and chatted for an hour or so, and eventually members of their new households stopped by to help them find their way home. Monday is a holiday, so students will spend a three-day weekend with their families…we look forward to hearing their stories on Tuesday morning.

Based on the evaluations completed last Friday, the students were divided into four groups. Each morning when class is scheduled, these groups will meet with their teachers (Ana, Dilcia, Dania, and Sonia) for three hours.

In the afternoon, we met at Universidad Federico Henriquez y Carvajal (UFHEC) where we will hold the charlas (lectures). Today from 2:00-4:00, Puro Blanco greeted us warmly and talked about, and demonstrated, the “Dominican soul.” He also described to us the various social problems evident here in the DR.

Lunch, courtesy of Brent and Cheryl, included lasagna, carrots, bread, and fresh pineapple. Other activities of the day included sampling the coconuts from our backyard tree, playing some dominoes, and exploring the neighborhood around Casa Goshen. In addition, we celebrated Vanessa’s upcoming birthday with a special cake.

After everyone said goodbye and departed for their homes, we took off for the airport to greet the 21st member of our group…Tara…who had to delay her arrival for a week due to a slower-than-expected recovery from leg surgery. We arrived at her host family’s home shortly after 9, and they welcomed her with open arms (and fresh bread, cheese, and homemade hot chocolate…direct from the cacao beans grown locally). Bienvenidos Tara!

The first stop was the Basilica Catedral Santa Maria de la Encarnación, the first cathedral in the Americas, a beautiful building constructed in the early 1500s. It borders one side of the Parque Colón, which also contains a statue of Christopher Colombus (Colón) who landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492.

We walked along the Calle de las Damas (Street of the Ladies) and explored the Fortaleza Ozama (built in 1502) and the Panteon Nacional, where many major military and political figures from Dominican history are interred. We also meandered through the Alcazar de Colón, the palace of the Columbus family, built by Christopher’s son Diego in 1511-1515. As with many buildings in the Colonial Zone, this building had fallen into ruin; however, it was restored during the last century as a tourist attraction and museum.

Our final two destinations were the remains of the oldest monastery and the first hospital in the “New World.” Both were built in the early 16th century, and are now home to many pigeons and a few stray dogs.

We spent the majority of the day enjoying the sun, sand, and water at Playa Guayacanes. Lunch consisted of PB&J sandwiches, carrots, melon, palitos (Dominican bread/snack sticks), and cookies. Everyone appreciated the chance to spend time talking, reading, snoozing, and playing. Some group members befriended several Dominican kids and they had a blast turning flips at the water’s edge as well as horsing around in the water.

Yesterday, Katia Estévez talked with us about the different types of Dominican families. Katia is a family therapist, and the information she presented to the students was helpful in identifying the type of family with whom they live and how to interact with them. In addition, she discussed the machismo and marianismo aspects of the Dominican culture. Her lecture better enabled us to understand why certain behaviors and attitudes are prevalent here.

Today, we heard from our unit physician, Dr. Catherine Scheraldi, who explained the Dominican health care system. She also provided the students with a number of tips on how to stay healthy during their three months in the DR.

We also met with several university-age leaders of the Movimiento Sin Aula (Beyond-the-Classroom Movement) group today. MSA is student-led organization working for social change in tangible ways. Ingrid, Thairy, Felicia and Teresa shared the various goals and programs of MSA, and invited interested students to join in their upcoming activities during the next month.

After students eat lunch and find their way to the university, there is often time for visiting and reading (as you can see Atlee doing in a creative way) before the classes start!

The group that goes to the market plans the lunch menu, purchases food at the market, and prepares lunch for the whole group at Casa Goshen. Jenna, Jon, Sol, and Tara were our chefs today and they whipped up some tasty pita pizzas (topped with cheese, ham and fresh pineapple), carrots, pineapple, melon, cherry juice, and cookies. The clean-up crew (see picture #2) each week happens to be next week’s cooks, so we’ll look forward to finding out what they dream up for us to feast on.

The cooks are also in charge of the afternoon activities, and they started us off with singing. Then they read some scripture regarding generosity, and welcomed reflections on the generosity they are receiving from their host families and other Dominicans. We ended our formal time together with a game...“Four on the Sofa.” The women won two games quickly and the men won the longer third match, so we called it a draw!

We first visited the Mirabal museum, where the lives of three Mirabal sisters are commemorated because of their involvement in a movement to overthrow the dictator Trujillo. In late 1960, Trujillo ordered the murder of the women, and their deaths were one of the major factors in the eventual assassination of the dictator six months later. The students have been reading In the Time of the Butterflies, an historical novel about the Mirabal family. The fourth sister, Dedé, did not participate in the underground movement and therefore was not killed; she and her mother raised the six children of her sisters, along with Dedé’s three sons. We were honored to meet with Doña Dedé, an extremely gracious woman, and ask her several questions about her family story.

We spent the remainder of the day in the Loma Quita Espuela Scientific Reserve. This reserve was created to protect the biological diversity of the area and prevent further deforestation, and covers about 72 square kilometers. We trekked through some beautiful cacao groves and a couple of cow pastures to arrive at the small farm where we were ate lunch (rice, beans, chicken, salad, and tamarind juice) as the horses, pigs, chickens, donkeys, goats, and roosters also wandered by. Our guide broke open several cacao pods so that we could taste the cacao beans, which at this point, don’t taste much like the chocolate they will become. After lunch, most of the group hiked part way up the steep loma (mountain) and enjoyed the gorgeous views and refreshingly strong breeze. We also toured the nearby vivero where tree seedlings and organic vegetables are grown. These starts are planted in the reserve and also sold to local campesinos (farmers).

Around 6:00 we, along with the rain, arrived in San Francisco de Macoris for the evening. While the heavy rain lasted for a few hours, students were still able to venture out and find dinner in various restaurants near the hotel, and made their way to the Helados Bon for some ice cream to cap off the evening.

We returned to Jarabacoa for lunch…again a tasty plato del día of rice, beans, pork, chicken and salad. Then we were off to Salto Baiguate, another waterfall accessible with a much less demanding hike. Even though the air was cool and the water was cold, the majority of the students bravely (albeit slowly) entered the pool at the waterfall’s base. Before the students scrambled out of the water, they sang a rousing version of 606 (ok, 118). While the recent rains and runoff caused the water to be pretty dirty at both falls, the pounding of the water, the beauty of nature, and the physical activity still made both visits worthwhile.

During the afternoon, there were a number of games underway…Uno, Phase 10, and of course the traditional pastime of the DR…dominoes. The SST group also treated their host families to three hymns in four-part harmony, and their hosts reciprocated with two traditional Dominican songs…one in honor of Mother’s Day (coming up on May 29) and the other a patriotic anthem to the country.

We’ll post the pictures of the students and their host families tomorrow…buenas noches!

Lydia - Norma Francisca Severino y Elias Calcaño

Lisl - Angela Gonzalez

Jenna - Xiomara Pérez

Jon - Altagracia Paulino

Atlee - Tomás Paulino and Dorka Alvarez

Alex - Antonio Sanchez and Claridania Fulcar

Sarah - Williams and Lourdes Vélez

Emily - Katia Ureña and Porfidio Sanchez

Laura - Suany Orosco and Lenin Pérez

Adam O - Ludovina Fermin de Mercedes

Elizabeth - Luis and Ani Cordero

Sol - Tita Caba-Rodriguez

Rachel - Esperanza Abreu Rodriguez

Tara - Johanna Almonte and Ramon Cruz

Nathan - Álvaro and Carmen Sosa

Dan - Nino Carvajal and Lennis Félix

Adam Y - Gisela Paulino

Andrea - Raquel Muñoz

Brandon - Ruben Ramirez and Betty Muñoz

Vanessa - Miguel Yeara and Marilyn Orosco

Reuben - Ramon and Nuris Jerez

Today we visited the Los Angeles Dodgers’ camp located about 30 minutes outside of Santo Domingo. Our host told us that 28 of the major league teams have training camps here in the DR. He was a pitcher in the Dodgers’ organization, and played in the minor leagues for six years. Now he works for the club and proudly showed us the four ball fields, dormitories, dining hall, workout spaces, and other facilities on the grounds. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to talk with the jugadores as they were playing a practice game with the Philadelphia Phillies at their field. They will begin the Summer Baseball League on June 4th, and we were warmly invited to their home opener.

Since there are only three Wednesdays left and four Explorations to describe, we’ll include one more this week. The Plaza de la Cultura is the home of four museums, the National Theater, and the National Library. Students visit the National Museum of History and Geography and the Museum of the Dominican Man. Jenna, Jon, Sol and Tara were intrigued to view a number of Taino artifacts and learn more about the indigenous culture that inhabited the island before the arrival of the Europeans. In addition, they viewed a number of exhibits related to the dictator Trujillo, including the car he was in when he was assassinated.

We also heard from Pavel Isa, a Dominican economist, who talked about the Dominican economy, and helped us better understand its history and current challenges.

Sugar cane has been grown in the DR for hundreds of years, and until as recently as the 1980s was the economy’s engine of growth. In the early 1980s, however, the worldwide sugar industry collapsed and the DR economy shifted from its agricultural focus to one based on export processing zones and tourism. Now, the economy is facing another painful transition because the quotas in the textile industry were eliminated on January 1, 2005. While the factories in the DR only pay an average of US$10 per day, they still cannot compete with other lower-wage countries; estimates indicate that 20,000 free trade zone jobs have been lost already in the past four months. In addition, the tourism industry must improve its record in terms of sustainable development, because as Pavel stated, “we are eating our country.”

It is interesting to note that the DR’s 3rd major source of income comes from remittances…money earned by Dominicans living overseas that they send back to their families here. In 2004, Dominicans received US$2.7 billion from these sources.

At Batey Vasca, located deep in the midst of cane fields, about 30 of the 370 residents are braceros. Other sources of revenue come from family members who leave the batey to work in the tourism or construction industries. The batey school provides an education through sixth grade, but there are no medical services. They also do not have a water source, so they have been very grateful for all the recent rains. If there is no rain, they purchase water from a delivery truck.

When we arrived, children, youth and adults quickly gathered to welcome us. We were led into a small church building and despite the variety of languages used (Spanish, Creole, English), we enjoyed a brief but energetic worship service together with scripture, songs and prayer.

Following the service, we walked with the residents through the batey. Some of us talked with the adults and youth while others played a variety of games with the children. While their living conditions are very poor, the joy and warmth with which they hosted us was evident. Needless to say, it was a valuable experience to spend time worshipping, playing and conversing together.

Another location that students visit during their Explorations ‘tour’ is the Jardín Botánico Nacional. They are always surprised to find such a peaceful, natural place within the city, and they enjoy the serenity and beauty of the Botanical Gardens. The garden covers 2.5 million square meters, and was created in 1976. Andrea, Elizabeth, Nathan and Reuben asked a park employee to take their picture, and you can see the creativity with which he did so! Students usually start off by taking a 30-minute guided train tour to get oriented and then spend time wandering around to view the various bromeliads, ferns, palms, flowers, fruit trees, endemic plants and much more on their own.

We were headed for Lago Enriquillo, a huge salt water lake (slightly larger than the island of Manhattan) that is 46 meters below sea level, when we had our first little mishap with Stephany…as we slowed down to pass over a policia acostado (sleeping policeman or speed bump), the guagua stalled and wouldn’t start again. After a few minutes of working on the battery, Jose Miguel asked for a push. So we all filed out, gave a push (uphill), the engine started up, and we continued on our way…but not for long. A passing motorcyclist soon motioned for us to stop, and we discovered smoke coming from one of the wheel wells. We slowly drove into the next town and pulled into a gas station. Fortunately we found a small comedor nearby, so we were at least able to eat lunch while the repairs were made. A couple of hours later, we cheered when Jose Miguel pulled up to the restaurant to pick us up!

We circled the majority of the lake, stopping to climb up a roadside cliff for a great view as well as a chance to see some Taino carvings in the rock wall. As we walked down to the lake, we met up with a number of rhinoceros iguanas. In addition, we visited the border market near Jimani, where Dominicans and Haitians meet in “no-man’s land” to sell produce, clothing, toiletries, shoes and other goods.

By 7:00 p.m., we arrived in Barahona…everyone was eager to shower, eat supper, enjoy an Helados Bon ice cream cone, explore, and rest up for the next day.

As the road turned inland and westward, the mountains retreat a bit and we once again entered the arid desert. About seven miles from the DR/Haiti border, we turned north and headed into the mountains of the Parque Nacional Bahoruco. We ascended 20 miles before arriving at a viewing platform to see the Hoyo (hole) de Pelempito, a 250-meter deep canyon covered with virgin pine. Jose Miguel and his wife Josefina joined us for the group picture in front of the Hoyo. To the best of our knowledge, the Summer 2005 SST group is the first to enjoy this scenic view!

Given all the miles logged on Friday, the creative juices were flowing and a contest between the males and females broke out…to see who could design and create the best airplane…built from the breakfast styrofoam cups (and any other materials they could find on the bus).

When we descended the mountain, we stopped to see the bauxite strip mines located alongside the road. The red dirt is everywhere, and our late afternoon destination, Cabo Rojo (Cape Red), is even named for the dusty color. Fortunately, at the Cabo Rojo beach, the water still remains a sparkling blue…not only did it look great, it felt awesome too. The airplane engineers tested their flight designs, stepped up to the line, and flew their planes…final results…the women won! We enjoyed the beach until the sun set, and then the mosquitos bombarded us, so we headed to Pedernales, the sleepy border town, for supper and our hotels.

By mid-day, we found ourselves boarding boats for a 20-minute ride to a pristine, remote beach at Bahía de las Águilas (Bay of the Eagles). The beach is about 6 miles long, and as of now, untouched by development. Unfortunately, plans are in the works to build hotels in this national park area. We enjoyed several hours in this beautiful location, and spent time eating (PBJ sandwiches, tortilla chips, cookies, mangos, grapefruit), reading, playing in the water and sand, journaling, and searching for sea life.

Around 5:30, the boats returned to pick us up, and we drove back into town for the night. After dropping some of us off at the first hotel, Stephany had a flat tire! So the crew staying at the 2nd hotel walked several blocks and were glad to find that they did have running water so they could take their well-earned showers. Later that evening, we relaxed together over a dinner of fish, lambi (conch), mashed potatoes and salad.

The majority of the day was spent in Stephany as we made our way back to the capital. But the pit stop for a river hike and lunch was just what we needed to break up the drive. Along the beautiful coastline, there are a few freshwater rivers that tumble down into the sea. We stopped in San Rafael, and began our trek up river. The clear, cool water was so refreshing and we marveled at the lush green foliage and colorful flowers along the river banks. We scrambled over the rocks, sat in pools where the water collected, stuck our heads under gushing waterfalls, and resisted the force of the water in the rapids. No one wanted to leave this tropical paradise! We ate lunch along the beach under the palm trees, with the pounding waves in the background, and we had to promise one more Helados Bon ice cream stop to get everyone back on the bus.

To start off our afternoon together, Reuben shared a reflection he had written on materialism, living in the present, and making the most of opportunities that we have. Students also discussed their thoughts and feelings about our visit to Haiti and the racism that is present here in the DR. The planning group also led us in a rousing game of charades…and we enjoyed quite a few laughs over the scenes that captured many experiences students have had in these first five weeks. We concluded the afternoon by celebrating Alex’s birthday (June 2) with a delightfully rich chocolate cake.

Brandon, Emily, Lydia and Rachel posed in front of the fourth Exploration location…the Mercado Modelo (photo taken by their 5th group member, Atlee), which is housed in an enclosed, congested building. As students walk through the narrow aisles, the many vendors encourage them to enter their shops, often with English phrases like “cheapie, cheapie” or “my friend, I make you a deal.” Armed with knowledge of how to bargain, the students have been surprising the vendors with their Spanish and usually arrive at Casa Goshen ready to show off their purchases.

We walked through the chapel (a separate building) and a number of rooms in the palace, but did not catch a glimpse of the current president, Leonel Fernández, since he was traveling in Canada. However, we were treated to an afternoon snack of donuts, bite-sized quiches and pizzas, and Coke in one of the dining rooms. When our tour was completed, students were happy to receive this week's mail!

Our cooks today were Atlee, Brandon, Emily, Lydia, and Rachel. We feasted on “enchilada lasagna” (recipe courtesy of Atlee’s mom – although several substitutions were made), fresh salsa, tortilla chips, pineapple, jugo de limon, and Iowa Chocolate Cake (Rachel’s mom’s recipe).

Our afternoon was filled with various preparations for service. Brandon read scripture and encouraged his fellow SSTers to rely on God rather than worry about tomorrow. His fitting analogy was that we use DEET (insect repellant) to fend off the mosquitoes here, and likewise God can help us deal with the variety of problems and worries that we have. In addition, the traditional haircuts and head shavings took place, along with a creative technique to wash off afterwards!

The fifth Exploration destination was the Faro a Colón. This huge concrete lighthouse is a monument that was built to mark the 500 year anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. The structure has been surrounded by controversy ever since it was suggested, and supposedly has been jinxed as well. The building houses a museum and a library, and the remains of Columbus lie in the tomb behind Adam, Dan, Laura and Lisl.

The first of three sites we visited was a church named Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Consolación. It was built in 1946 in the neoclassical style and contains numerous works by famous Spanish muralist José Vela Zanetti. We saw the ornate chair used by Trujillo as well as the family burial vault in the basement (not in use).

Our second stop was at the Castillo del Cerro (Castle on the Hill), a rather ugly concrete and glass structure that from the outside looks more like an office building. This mansion has fallen into disrepair, and apparently Trujillo never even lived in the castle. While it was a bit creepy walking through the run-down rooms, we definitely enjoyed the view from the roof.

We ended the excursion at La Toma – a swimming and bathing complex built by Trujillo for private use. The area is open to the public now, and the students enjoyed the refreshing water and entertained themselves for over an hour with the slides at the pool’s edge.

Afterwards we all headed to Casa Goshen, where the group had to buckle down and take two exams…one on the lectures we’ve heard during the afternoons and one on the geography of the Caribbean, Central and South America. We gave one last pep talk for service, distributed more handouts and their service funds, and pulled out the mosquito nets and motorcycle helmets. Last but not least, we also celebrated Elizabeth’s birthday a few days early.

Laura also accompanied Luis on a medical mission project last Saturday, and spent one afternoon in a large city public hospital. She observed several med students working in the suture room of the ER, and told us lots of details that we won’t pass along! She will return to that hospital during the next four weeks as well as spend some time in a maternity hospital.

Laura enjoys talking with her parents, Luis and Jerffi. She has two brothers, Bocaccio (5), who loves listening to her American music and Luis Emilio who is six months old. Along with the family, she also spends time with their friends from the church they attend.

Adam Y lives with Manuel, Katalina and Oly (4). Jon and Adam O live with a large four-generation family (mostly female) in a couple of houses; their host mother is Alexandra who is a community leader and the President of the Habitat Tamayo unit. Adam O is using the alias “Samuel” to help reduce the confusion of having two Adams in one place.

When they aren’t working, los tres Españoles (as they are known locally) might be found reading, playing cards, hanging out in the park, or watching telenovelas with their families. Before school was over for the summer, they also visited Alexandra’s second grade class and made lots of friends who greet them as they walk around the neighborhood.

Andrea is working with a Peace Corps volunteer, Shanna, who has a variety of projects underway. Once a week they meet with a women’s nutrition group, and provide information on various topics. They also cook a dish using locally available ingredients, and will compile the recipes for the women. Once the women finish the course, they will receive seeds and fencing to start their own gardens.

They also meet with the community youth group and are in the midst of planning a summer youth camp for 4-14 year olds. It will run for four weeks, two of which Andrea will be able to help with. The camp will consist of segments related to dance, music, art, theater, and sports for three hours each afternoon.

In Andrea’s free time, she walks through Los Pinos and visits her friends and neighbors, hangs out with Shanna, exercises and reads.

Brandon's host mother is Dominga, an energetic woman and community leader. Her parents live next door, and a number of grandkids, nieces and nephews are always around. When we arrived, Brandon was sitting outside the house in the shade of trees in the fenced garden, where a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are growing.

Brandon is teaching art classes to four students (ages 18-22); they are very interested in learning how to draw and paint and eagerly soak up his expertise. After some sessions on basic drawing and painting techniques, they will wrap up their time together by painting some map and/or health-related murals. The same group of guys also asked him to teach them English, so he is fortunate to have some motivated students to work with. When he has a chance, Brandon takes time to read, draw, write, watch TV or play cards with his family, and explore the surrounding lagoons and bateys.

In Paraiso, Reuben lives with Prisa, Yani, Geneisi and Gabi. The photo of his family includes his grandfather, but unfortunately we did not get to meet his father. Atlee lives with Rosario, Kiki, Alexander and Emellynet.

Both GCers enjoy running every day, reading, writing, playing cards, and spending time with their family members and friends. They have also visited a couple of farms in the mountains, explored a nearby lake, and have plans to accompany the local fishermen for a day.

Emily spends her mornings in an orphanage, run by Argentinian pastors Roberto and Noemi. She assists Glennis in the 1st and 2nd grade room with about 20 children. Her various tasks include helping with math problems, reading books to the kids, translating some activity books from English to Spanish, washing the girls’ hair, and playing with the children during recess. She especially enjoys working with the children one-on-one or in small groups.

From about 8:00-2:00, Jenna can be found in the local hospital, where she talks and works with the patients, observes what the doctors and nurses are doing, gives shots, takes blood pressure and temperature, and helps stock medication in the pharmacy. She spent the first two weeks primarily in the ER and is now working with inpatients.

Jenna’s host family consists of Sara and Jule, and their children Raydhelis, Lewis and Rayselis. Jenna likes to play and color with her siblings and make up games for them, and helps her mom with chores around the house. She also is singing with a band that performs praise and worship songs at a local church, and they practice several times a week.

Emily lives with two sisters, Arhelia and Guillermina, and their father. Her sisters are funny and very active and there is never a dull moment in the household. Both of the sisters work with Compassion International, so sometimes in the afternoons Emily helps them. She also enjoys walking, visiting and playing dominoes.

This summer there are two other medical interns at the clinic, Lisa and Heather, so the three of them have been spending some time together as well. When they’re not working, they like to cook and bake in the guest house kitchen that is connected to the clinic. And whenever she has free time after lunch, Lydia plays the piano located in the guest house.

Lydia loves her host family and reported that they are fun and entertaining. Her father, Ramon, is a dairy farmer and her mother, Oneida, is a teacher. She enjoys hanging out, talking, watching TV, and going to church with them and her five siblings: Sol, Ramon, Ezekiel, Juan and Isaac. The family plans to show her around the dairy farm soon.

Lisl is assisting a Peace Corps volunteer, Megan, with several of her projects. Megan has a garden project underway, and Lisl will be conducting interviews to evaluate how the project is going. She will also work with the youth group to fundraise in order to buy supplies that will be used to paint a world map in the local school. They are hoping to paint the mural during the last week she is on service.

The same day we were in Buena Vista, Andrea arrived for a visit with Lisl. Together we went on a drive through the mountains (see picture of Lisl and us with Buena Vista in the background). We were searching for a view of Pico Duarte (the highest point in the Caribbean) and we think we found it!

Nathan goes to the clinic from 8:30-noon and observes the daily happenings, gives shots, takes blood pressure readings, and spends time with the two doctors as they consult with patients. The clinic is about 10 minutes from his home.

After lunch with his family, Nathan usually reads and then walks around the community, hikes through the surrounding hills, plays baseball, sings with his sister, or swims in a nearby lake. He has learned how to ride a horse, and is becoming an expert at identifying different types of mangos (he knows 10 so far and can not only see the differences but taste them as well). His siblings told us that they also plan to take Nathan to explore some nearby caves where Tainos lived.

For the remaining five weeks, they are living at the church’s camp in the mountains just outside of Jarabacoa. They spent weeks two and three with a youth group from Florida who came to the camp to construct a new church and school. The next three weeks they will participate in the summer youth camp for Dominican children from all over the diocese. To date they have washed the camp laundry, mowed the yard, shopped for food supplies for the cooks, and numerous other jobs. Since they live in the camp facilities, they don’t have host families per se, but the camp caretaker, Pablo, lives on the grounds, and Vanessa and Dan have enjoyed spending time with his family and have eaten some meals with them. Dan and Vanessa have been lifesavers for Rev. Miguelina, not only in terms of the tasks they have accomplished, but also in helping her deal with the challenges presented by youth who have never lived in a developing country and were not used to doing without the many conveniences they have in the states.

When they have free time, Vanessa and Dan have been reading and often go to the river to swim. They appreciate the cool (relatively speaking!) mountain air and the beautiful views their surroundings provide.

The community is very small, but Tara has made many friends. Most of the young men work as guides, and several females cook in the kitchen and help guide the horses when needed. Tara often plays dominoes with her friends and her brother Juan Carlos who is recovering from a broken leg. She also reads, helps in the kitchen, goes running in the morning, hikes in the mountains, hunts for mangoes, and swims in a nearby river. Of course every chance she gets, she takes an available horse and rides with a group to the waterfall. Tara commented that she’s probably averaged 2-3 trips a week. She loves swimming at the base of the waterfall as well.

Tara’s family’s parada is one of about 14 that exist in the community offering similar services to tourists. These small businesses have formed an association that sets guidelines for their operations. One of Tara’s projects will be to create an evaluation that monitors how well each parada is meeting the guidelines. In addition, she will spend a week working with another organization dedicated to conservation and sustainable development where she will assist with whale tail identification.

In Los Cocos, Rachel has helped with a library project by organizing books and reading to the children. She will also be participating in a women’s empowerment week that Kristy and other Peace Corp volunteers have planned. Each volunteer has invited two high school age females from their communities and a college-age ‘counselor’; the week will focus on life planning skills, health education, sports, and many other activities.

Rachel’s host family consists of Doña Australia and her adult children and grandchildren. Three of Doña Australia’s children have homes on the same property, and her son Marcos lives in the same house. The photo includes Kristy, Doña Australia, Marcos, and a daughter-in-law and one of her sons.

Sarah lives with Odalis and her two daughters, Yubileyny (9) and Nel Marie (3). Odalis has taken the GCers to the river to swim, and shown them other sites around town. When Sarah gets home from teaching, her sisters frequently ask her to play Uno and other card games.

Alex lives with his host mother Benny and her adult children Evelyn and Wilson. Evelyn has a 2-month old daughter Jovanica and Wilson has a 2-year old son Jason. Alex has enjoyed talking with Evelyn, running, spending time with Jason, and playing games with Sarah’s family.

Sol’s host family consists of Ramona and Jesus and their grandchildren Jennifer (15), Stefany (11) and Michel (10). Their home is located on the outskirts of Bonao but is still a hub of activity in the neighborhood. Sol spends most of his free time reading.

Some of her tasks included: feeding rabbits and sheep, weeding, helping in the greenhouse, clearing a trail, and moving a sheep pen. She also commented that she drank lots of coffee with Moreno and other volunteer workers! She attended a couple of meetings of a coffee growers’ group, and two to three times per week accompanied Moreno when he led local house church meetings. Elizabeth enjoyed eating fresh red peppers growing in the vivero, walking in the mountains, swimming in the river and at the nearby dam, and reading information about the federation and its formation and activities.

We were connected with the Federación by our contacts from the group Movimiento Sin Aula. Their umbrella organization is the Socioeconomic and Cultural Development School whose purpose is to assist in building a society based on the principles of solidarity and justice. During the last two weeks of service, Elizabeth will reside and work in Santo Domingo, and spend most of her time in one of the poor barrios where this organization runs its programs.